Podcast: The Future of Water

Emerging Trends and Foreign Investment Opportunities in Spain’s Water Market

Spain’s water sector has evolved in light of the country’s unique challenges such as extensive infrastructure buildout in recent decades, population boom, economic recessions, and persistent droughts. Despite these hurdles, Spain has made notable strides in areas including desalination, water management, and technology adoption. VP & Managing Director Keith Hays and Analyst Maria Cardenal from… Continue reading Emerging Trends and Foreign Investment Opportunities in Spain’s Water Market

How Would a Potential Schneider-Bentley Deal Shake Up the Water Sector?

Update: As of 23 May 2024, deal talks between Schneider Electric and Bentley Systems have ended, with no plans to move forward with an acquisition. Schneider Electric and Bentley have confirmed ongoing discussions regarding a potential acquisition, marking a significant development in the water industry. With Bentley’s market value estimated at approximately US$16 billion, the prospective… Continue reading How Would a Potential Schneider-Bentley Deal Shake Up the Water Sector?

Regulating PFAS in Drinking Water: Who Will Bear the Burden?

Bluefield’s latest remediation forecast for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has surged to US$13.5 billion by 2030 in the wake of anticipated maximum contamination limits (MCLs) for drinking water and a significant legal settlement involving 3M in South Carolina. Now, with the EPA confirming these unprecedented contaminant limits, a fresh wave of discussions emerge, touching… Continue reading Regulating PFAS in Drinking Water: Who Will Bear the Burden?

AI Opportunities and Impacts for Utility Construction Firms in Water

While artificial intelligence (AI) has indeed become a prevalent buzzword in many regards, capturing headlines over the past 12 to 18 months, its potential impact remains significant. There are real applications and impacts that are unfolding for AI, including those in the water and wastewater sectors. In the U.S. utility construction sector—which is facing chronic… Continue reading AI Opportunities and Impacts for Utility Construction Firms in Water

The Emergence of Collaborative Delivery for Water

Public sector water and wastewater project owners, engineering & design firms, and contractors are facing cost overruns, schedule delays, and contractual disputes that are slowing the execution and delivery of critical infrastructure. These factors have prompted the development of new policies and project experiences, accelerating collaborative project delivery approaches. The methods include design-build, progressive design-build,… Continue reading The Emergence of Collaborative Delivery for Water

IIJA Project Funding Update: Where Are the Dollars Now?

A number of Bluefield clients have enquired about the status of IIJA project funds. Each program stands in terms of four funding phases: appropriated, announced, obligated, outlaid. Podcast host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield Senior Analyst Isabel Kezman to discuss recent analysis of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In this episode, Bluefield’s water… Continue reading IIJA Project Funding Update: Where Are the Dollars Now?

What’s the State of Private Participation in Water?

Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield Senior Analyst Charlie Suse to discuss recent research on Investor-Owned Utilities in water. Reese and Charlie spell out Bluefield’s definition of “Private Water”, followed by a dive into the market outlook, including: Utility M&A trends, what companies are paying for water systems, the influential players in the private water… Continue reading What’s the State of Private Participation in Water?

The Role of 8 Japanese Trading Houses in Water

The eight Japanese trading companies, also known as “sogo shosha”, are Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui Corporation, Hitachi Corporation, Itochu Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, Marubeni Corporation, Toyota Tsusho, and Sojitz Corporation. Together these firms reported nearly US$600 billion in assets under management in 2023. These companies are global, with positions in key markets geographically, and are a unique… Continue reading The Role of 8 Japanese Trading Houses in Water